Bits 'n' Pieces

LBCC Places $990M Measure on Ballot

The Long Beach Community College District (LBCCD) Board of Trustees voted unanimously to place a $990 million facilities bond proposal on the Nov. 5 General Presidential Election ballot.

The district’s bond proposal is intended to support LBCC’s long-standing commitment to serving current and future LBCC students with classrooms, labs and facilities that provide the advanced training and courses that students need and meet job market demands.

In a press release, LBCCD stated: “After decades of constant use, many LBCC buildings are outdated and deteriorating. The District’s Facilities Master Plan has identified over $1.5 billion in need, well beyond the college’s limited state-allotted maintenance budget, including: upgrading nursing, vocational, and job training classrooms and labs; removing asbestos and mold; providing clean drinking water; upgrading electrical and sewer systems; major repairs to old bathrooms and plumbing; repair leaky roofs; fix faulty gas, sewer, and electrical lines; and improve campus security, among other items.”

The bond measure will also help expand the successful Long Beach College Promise by enabling the college to upgrade technology and classrooms for hybrid teaching. By doing so, LBCC can invite more high school students to get a jump-start on college by taking LBCC courses while still in high school.

The bond measure includes fiscal accountability requirements such as a Citizens’ Oversight Committee and independent annual financial and performance audits to monitor that funds are used as promised. By law, all funds stay local and are dedicated to LBCC. No funds can be used for employee salaries, pensions, or benefits.

Subject to provisions of State Proposition 39, the LBCC bond measure will require 55% voter support for passage.

New Board Members, Staff at Journalism Initiative

Long Beach’s largest nonprofit newsroom – which includes the Long Beach Post and Long Beach Business Journal – has expanded its board of directors and added new leadership staff to support nonprofit business management, revenue development and operations.

The board of directors for the Long Beach Journalism Initiative, the nonprofit umbrella organization for the publications, now includes two additional members: Danny Lemos and James Ahumada.

Danny Lemos is a Long Beach resident and the recently retired media advisor of the student-run 22 West Media at Cal State Long Beach and general manager of the nonprofit public radio station KLBP (99.1). Lemos has been an on-air personality for decades, as well as a producer, DJ, writer, coach and more. Lemos has extensive experience in fundraising and nonprofit management, and will help lead a youth fellowship program with the Long Beach Journalism Initiative.

James Ahumada is the senior vice president and deputy CEO of the Downtown Long Beach Alliance, a nonprofit that helps manage Downtown Long Beach and provides services and entertainment to the area on behalf of the property and business owners. Ahumada – the former chief of staff and advisor to then-Mayor Robert Garcia and a former legislative advisor to Congressman Henry Waxman handling labor relations, small business and education – brings a wealth of experience in strategic communications, nonprofit management, policy analysis and community outreach.

Danny and James join three other stewards of the community on the LBJI Board of Directors, who together represent a diversity of interests and sectors in the city: President Matt Kinley, a local attorney; Secretary Gwen Shaffer, a professor in the Department of Journalism and Public Relations at CSULB; and Dora Jacildo, a long-time nonprofit executive and advocate for women and children.

The Post and Business Journal have also brought on a new development director, Frankie Morales, who has extensive experience in sales and media. Morales is the co-founder and publisher of CaliforniaListings.com, and is a former brand consultant for iHeart Media and former advertising director for The Real Deal.

Morales, who has deep ties to Long Beach, will be leading sales, corporate sponsorships and partnerships for the Long Beach Journalism Initiative. He can be reached at frankie@lbpost.com.

Port of Long Beach Sees Busiest July on Record

Surging cargo volumes lifted the Port of Long Beach to its most active July on record – and the third-busiest month in its 113-year history – as retailers stocked up on goods headed into the peak shipping season.

Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 882,376 twenty-foot equivalent units in July, up 52.6% from the same month last year and surpassing the previous record set in July 2022 by 12.4%. Imports soared 60.5% to 435,081 TEUs, exports grew 16.3% to 104,834 TEUs, and empty containers moved through the Port jumped 57.8% to 342,462 TEUs.

The port has moved 5,174,002 TEUs during the first seven months of 2024, up 20% from the same period last year.

For complete cargo numbers, visit polb.com/statistics.

First-Ever Space Beach Camp for Young Adults

The City of Long Beach Economic Development Department (EDD) is partnering with local Space Beach employers and educational institutions to offer an immersive and socially engaging career exploration camp for approximately 30 opportunity youth, or youth ages 16 to 24 who are not working or in school. The innovative program is designed to help build knowledge of aerospace careers, provide related educational and training opportunities, and foster mentorships with leaders in this fast-growing industry.

Facilitated by the EDD’s youth employment center, Future LB, Space Beach Camp is a free, three-week program that offers enriching, hands-on opportunities to enable young people to explore advanced education and careers in the aerospace sector. The comprehensive program features one-on-one informational sessions, a guest speaker series, workplace tours, field trips, coaching opportunities, career days and networking events.

Space Beach Camp prioritizes the engagement of youth enrolled with Learn4Life, Options For Youth, and federally-funded workforce training programs offered through Future LB. Participating partners include Long Beach Airport, Port of Long Beach, Ampaire, Benmo, Boeing, California State University, Long Beach, ExLabs, GXO, Inc., Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Long Beach City College, Long Beach Transit, Relativity Space, Rocket Lab, SpaceX, SpinLaunch, United States Space Force, and Vast.

The program is made possible by a $1.6 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to create work-based learning opportunities to expose, train and prepare young people disconnected from employment and educational opportunities to careers in aerospace.

The first Space Beach Camp cohort is expected to commence on Aug. 30. The program is not accepting new applications at this time. For additional information about the program and other youth employment services, the public may contact Future LB at (562) 570-4700.

Health Department Awarded $1 Million Grant

The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has been awarded a $1 million grant from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to enhance care around and reduce the occurrence of hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) among at-risk populations throughout the city.

As one of two grantees for the Hepatitis B Demonstration Project Grants and the first and only local health jurisdiction to receive this funding in California, Long Beach will enhance existing hepatitis B services by providing the following resources to the community:

• Hepatitis B virus screening
• Hepatitis B vaccination
• Linkage to hepatitis B care

The project will prioritize serving communities impacted by or at risk of HBV infection, with a focus on Long Beach’s Asian American and Pacific Islander populations, as well as those with history of substance use. Aligned with California’s public health goals and the Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan, the initiative intends to reduce acute hepatitis B infection rates and enhance care for affected individuals.

This project helps advance the collective effort towards eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. DHHS remains committed in using these funds to serve its residents and looks forward to the opportunities associated with hepatitis B prevention and care.

LBS Credit Union Announces Promotion

LBS Financial Credit Union announced that Violet Stewart, formerly the branch manager at the credit union’s Lakewood office, has been promoted to vice president of branch operations. In her new role, Stewart will be responsible for all seven of the credit union’s branch locations with the vice president/branch managers reporting directly to her.

Steward started her career with LBS Financial in 2017, as the Lakewood branch manager. During her years at LBS Financial, she led the Lakewood branch to achieve positive loan growth, new member growth, strong member survey scores, and at the same time encouraged her team to participate in ongoing community events.

Stewart earned her MBA with an emphasis on organizational leadership from Brandman University, a division of Chapman University.

City Establishes New Office for Homeless

The City of Long Beach has established the Office of Homeless Strategy and Partnerships, a new office that will further the city’s efforts to reduce homelessness in Long Beach through strategic planning and implementation of key initiatives and building partnerships with external agencies, service providers and community stakeholders.

Located within the office of the city manager, it is comprised of a dedicated team of one manager and two program specialists who will partner closely with city departments such as the Health Department’s Homeless Services Bureau to complement and uplift their frontline work, direct services and governance structures addressing homelessness.

The office will convene and coordinate an interdepartmental structure focused on streamlining homelessness response, expanding and improving the city’s homeless services system and increasing housing affordability, and will facilitate urgent citywide projects and build connections with community partners and external agencies.